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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26883598">A Tale of Sugar Water and Bedrest</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marijke_Rose/pseuds/Marijke_Rose'>Marijke_Rose</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Whumptober 2020 [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Invader Zim</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Carrying, Day 7, Enemy to Caretaker, I’ve got you, Whumptober 2020, no.7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 20:54:02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,109</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26883598</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marijke_Rose/pseuds/Marijke_Rose</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Part 2 of “Donuts Don't Taste as Good Without You...”, and day 7 of Whumptober.</p><p>Damaged from the blast believed to have killed him,Red finds himself helpless and in the clutches of an alien he cannot see. What are the being’s intentions?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>RaPR (mentioned)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Whumptober 2020 [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1948705</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Whumptober 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Tale of Sugar Water and Bedrest</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“I've got you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Red was vaguely aware of being moved: because each small shift of his body made everything hurt. He tried to remember where he was. And why on Irk was he aching all over?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don't move, you've taken too much damage.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was being carried. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wha…?” was all Red could manage as he turned to open his eyes. “Whe…?” His vision was blurred and trying to focus hurt.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You're safe, but I have to stop the bleeding.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He closed his eyes again as things began to fade. Then pain ripped through his body, and a weak cry escaped his lips.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, I have to lay you down on this table.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Shortly after that, he felt a hard surface beneath him, aggravating his broken bones. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You're Irken,” the voice, which he had no face to match it with, said. “That means you might just survive these injuries.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘I had better’</span>
  </em>
  <span> was the last thing Red thought before he lost consciousness.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>***</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“You should drink this,” the voice said and Red felt something touch his lips. He sharply jerked his head away, then groaned with the resulting pain.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Your body needs sugar,” the voice persisted.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Red grunted in defiance. He tried to open his eyes, only to shut them again because it hurt too much. When he felt something touch his lips again, he snapped at it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was a heavy sigh. “Have it your way then. Try and get some rest.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Red could hear footsteps echoing and growing distant before his consciousness faded again.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>***</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, good to see you awake,” an annoyingly chipper and familiar voice chimed from somewhere in the dark - and large by the sound of it - room.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Red scowled in the voice’s direction. “Why can’t I see? Why is it so dark?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m afraid that along with all your other bodily damage, your ocular implants - quite fascinating technology, by the way; very sophisticated - were also damaged.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That doesn’t explain why I can’t see you,” Red grumbled. Even without the implants, an Irken could see in the dark.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Your ocular nerves were also damaged. While they regenerate, I have extinguished all light sources.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then how can </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> see?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s enough questioning for now,” the voice said firmly. “You need to drink. The Irken healing process requires an incredible amount of energy.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Red heard more footsteps, this time growing closer. Then there was a </span>
  <em>
    <span>‘clink’</span>
  </em>
  <span> just to his right and the footsteps moved around to his other side.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Who are you?” Red demanded.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Your…. I believe you call it ‘medic’. I am your medic. Now drink something before you pass out again.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Red grunted. “I demand you release me at once.” To his consternation, hearty laughter rang out and echoed through the room.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Drink and rest. I’ll check on you in a few hours.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With the sound of retreating footsteps, Red was left alone again, with nothing but the darkness and his thoughts for companionship.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>For the ruler, this was an unfamiliar situation. One he didn’t think he liked. It wasn’t that he was scared, oh no. Never scared, Control Brains forbid. It was that… he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>lonely.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He had an Empire and a mate. Someone was </span>
  <em>
    <span>always</span>
  </em>
  <span> around. He was unaccustomed to being </span>
  <em>
    <span>lonely.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was also unaccustomed to being immobile, but he couldn’t seem to move a single limb. At least the pain was gone- no, not gone, just… dampered. Either his PAK was pumping him full of painkillers, or whoever that voice belonged to had. He didn’t much like the latter.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>At least he wasn’t lying flat on his back anymore, though the reclined position he</span>
  <em>
    <span> was</span>
  </em>
  <span> in still made him feel vulnerable.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>***</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“I demand you release me,” Red said as he felt rather than heard his ‘medic’ return.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You still haven’t touched your drink, I see.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“See,” Red repeated sarcastically.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes. My eyes weren’t damaged.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Who are you anyway and why have you taken me prisoner?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I haven’t taken you prisoner.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then why won’t you let me leave?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It is not I who is stopping you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The tone was so friendly… no, patronising, that Red wanted to spit. “Then who is?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why, yourself, of course.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>For the first time since his captor had returned, Red heard footsteps. Coming closer and he felt just the slightest bit of apprehension.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you know who I am?” he demanded. “I’m warning you, if you continue to keep me locked up here, my people will come looking for me and find you. They won’t take prisoners.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you don’t eat, I fear there won’t be much left of you for them to find.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Red hissed. He was getting </span>
  <em>
    <span>nowhere</span>
  </em>
  <span> with this…. whoever it was. With an exasperated sigh, he  settled back against a… bed or something, he had no idea except that it was notably softer than that table he’d occupied earlier.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Now that you’ve worn yourself out—“ the voice was suddenly much closer and Red gave a start. “—will you have a drink?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No,” Red said in a clipped tone that made him sound just like Purple.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then I pity your mate.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What?” Red asked, alarmed at the ominous mention of Purple.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know the bonds Irkens form with one another are strong. Perhaps one of the strongest in the universe.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Where is he?!” Red demanded. “If you’ve hurt him, I will tear you apart with my bare claws!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I have done nothing with him. He is perfectly safe on your spaceship.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Red blinked at the odd name. “The Massive isn’t a spaceship.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It travels through space and it is a ship.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It is a </span>
  <em>
    <span>warship.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Warship, then. Now tell me: what will become of your mate if you have  starved yourself to death by the time your people find you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Red gritted his teeth as a growl rumbled up from deep within his chest.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can you see anything yet?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Red opened his eyes without thinking, only to be met by darkness. “No.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was a </span>
  <em>
    <span>‘tsk’.</span>
  </em>
  <span> “Then your PAK is unable to heal you because it is focusing solely on keeping you alive. You will soon slip into a coma and I will have no choice but to transfer nutrients directly into your veins - I believe this is called ‘an IV’ in your language.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Red snorted. He felt dizzy again. Almost as though the… he decided to dub it ‘the Voice’. It was almost as though the Voice’s prophecy was coming true. And that meant that Red was in serious trouble.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As foretold, he began to slip from consciousness again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, this is exactly what I’ve been trying to warn you about.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That was the last thing he heard before he slipped completely away into oblivion.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>To be continued...</p><p>Yes, it is now a three-parter (at least).</p></blockquote></div></div>
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